Falling in love with London, Ontario: a list of things to do

In an effort to get to know and love my town a bit more, a few weeks ago, I asked people on Twitter what I should do in London, Ontario over the next year to really fall in love with the city.

The responses came fast and often; I’ve collected, cleaned up, sorted, and presented them all below. I plan to spend a chunk of 2020 doing most—if not all—of these things and reflecting upon how they change my view of the city and the way I interact with the place where I live.

What are the things you have to do or experience in #ldnont to really get to know the city?

(E.g., go to a Knights game, check out a show at the Grand, go to the Western Fair, etc.)

Hoping to make 2020 my “fall in love with London” year, so I’m making a bucket list, of sorts.

— Sameer Vasta (@vasta) October 29, 2019

Outdoors

• Play the Hickory 9 at Thames Valley Golf Course
• Spend time at and around Boler Mountain, which has become a real community hub for more than just skiing
• Bike (or walk!) along the Thames Valley Parkway in all directions, particularly when the trees are changing colour or when there is a spring or summer bloom of wildflowers
• Play catch (frisbee, baseball, football, etc.) in Springbank Park
• Afternoon swim at Thames Park Pool
• Hike around Fanshawe Lake, or canoe or row in the lake itself
• Cross the Blackfriars bridge on a rainy evening when the street lamps glow along the river
• Take a winter hike in one of our protected ESAs like Westminster Ponds
• Spend time at a friendly community garden and chat with the gardeners
• Go to an event at the Wood St. Food Forest
• Explore the Sifton Bog
• Walk in the forest behind Huron College
• Spend a whole day by the Thames River
• Stroll through Gibbons Park
• Visit the Kinsmen Maple Sugar Bush
• Go public skating at the Lambeth arena
• Go for a hike in Kains Woods
• Get lost in urban forests: Westminster Ponds, Sifton Bog, Medway Forest
• Hike Dingman Creek Cons Area

Sports

• Go to a London Knights game
• Go to a London Lightning game
• Go to a London Majors game
• Go to a Western Mustangs game
• See a horse race at Western Fair

Culture

• See a show at the Grand Theatre
• See a show at Aeolian Hall
• See a concert at London Music Hall
• Visit Eldon House and have afternoon tea on the lawn
• Explore Museum London
• Check out SunFest in the summer
• Attend Home County Festival
• Check out Banting House
• Catch a screening at the Mustang Drive-In
• Catch an indie show at Call the Office
• See a horse show at a nearby horse farm
• See Rick McGhie at the Grad Club
• Check out an art show opening or theatre performance at TAP

Supporting Local

• Shop or walk slow laps at the Western Fair
• Go to a night market
• Explore the shops and restaurants of Wortley Village
• Visit the really big Value Village on Oxford
• Shop at Heroes Comics
• Check out the Old East Village Grocer
• Punk Rock Flea Market at Call the Office
• Visit Trail’s End market
• Check out Pillar Nonprofit Network to learn about the incredible work being done in our community and connect with a cause that matters to you
• Visit the Flower Lady in Lambeth
• Find treasures at Kid Cents and The Antique Collector in Lambeth
• Go antiquing at Memory Lane

Community

• Write a letter while sitting at any London Library branch
• Attend a London Youth Advisory Council meeting
• Attend a free event that you discover on a bulletin board
• Spend an evening on Wes Kinghorn’s porch in Woodfield
• See the holiday lights in Victoria Park — and if possible, see them from City Hall’s observation deck
• Read in Central Library’s Rotary Reading Garden
• Gathering on the Green in Wortley Village
• Participate in 1 Book 1 London events
• Take part in kid friendly events like the “Booseum” and the egg hunt at Apple Land Station
• Check out as many branches of the London Public Library as possible
• Wander around Western University campus before all the leaves fall—and check out all the campus libraries
• Explore the city’s oldest areas: Ridout, Queens Ave, Wortley
• Explore the city’s historical buildings: Eldon House, Banting House, Grosvenor Lodge, Roundhouse
• Take a slow bike ride with the Old East Village riding group
• Experience Harvest Fest in Lambeth
• Spend an afternoon learning about history at The London Room at London Public Library
• Participate in an architecture walking tour

Food & Drink

• Spend a morning reading a book at Edgar and Joe’s
• Have a cup of tea at the Tea Haus
• Eat breakfast at The Bag Lady
• Have a beer on The Ceeps patio
• Tour the Labatt brewery and visit all the local craft breweries
• Grab a late-night eat at Prince Albert’s Diner
• Have a meal at the Morrissey House
• Eat butter chicken at Massey’s
• Eat some sushi at Miso
• Pick up cheese bagels at La Noisette
• Brunch at the Early Bird
• Eat from a food truck during one of the summer festivals in Victoria Park
• Donuts at Plant Matter Kitchen
• Grab treats at Spicers or Sticks and Scones in Lambeth
• Snack on wonton nachos at Union Pub in Lambeth
• Eat dim sum at Tak Sun
• Indulge at RibFest